1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to steerable catheters, and more particularly to a modular handle assembly for supporting and controlling a steerable catheter.
2. Description of the Prior Art
This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Catheters (i.e., catheters or sheaths) that have flexible tubular bodies with deflectable distal ends and control handles for controlling distal end deflection are used for many non-invasive medical producers. The distal portion of the catheter body is selectively deformed into a variety of curved configurations using an actuator on the control handle which remains outside the patient's body. The actuator is commonly internally linked to the distal portion of the catheter body by at least one deflection wire. Some catheter bodies employ a single deflection wire, which is pulled (i.e., placed in tension) by the actuator in order to cause the distal portion of the catheter body to deform. Other catheter bodies have at least two deflection wires, where the displacement of one wire (i.e., placing one wire in tension) results in the other wire going slack (i.e., the wire does not carry a compressive load). In such catheters, where the deflection wires are not adapted to carry compressive loads (i.e., the deflection wires are only meant to be placed in tension), the deflection wires are commonly called pull or tension wires.
Although the prior art control handles are capable of controlling distal end deflection of catheter bodies, they have several drawbacks. For example, the prior art control handles are often excessively bulky and oftentimes expensive. Additionally, the prior art control handles often have a mechanical component that requires a significant effort to operate on the part of the user, and once a desired distal end deflection has been reached, the control handles typically require the operator to take a conscious step to maintain the catheter at the desired deflection. Further, the prior art control handles cannot be easily modified, and thus are only designed to work with a specific steerable catheter design.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for an improved control handle for use with a steerable catheter.